A Randomized Control Trial Evaluation of WhatsOK for the Primary Prevention of Problematic Sexual Behaviors Among Youth
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Center for Violence Prevention Research Inc
- Enrollment
- 920
- Primary Endpoint
- Help-seeking behaviors
Overview
Brief Summary
Research suggests up to 77% of harmful sexual experiences during childhood are caused by other youth. Sometimes called peer-peer abuse or youth-perpetrated child sexual abuse, problematic and harmful sexual behavior among youth (PHSBY) involves sexual behaviors that are not developmentally appropriate and have potential to cause harm to the child or children involved.
Compared to adults, children and adolescents who engage in sexual exploration are at greater risk of making mistakes or causing harm, in large part because they have insufficient information about healthy sexual behavior and development, consent, and related concepts. However, the available support, information, and resources for youth who have engaged in or are at risk of engaging in PSHB are limited.
To address these unmet needs, Stop it Now! (stopitnow.org) created the first youth-focused website and helpline services (WhatsOK) for young people with concerns about their sexual thoughts, interests, and behaviors. WhatsOK.org is a microsite developed specifically for youth aged 14-21 years. If a child or young person has concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors, the WhatsOK Online Help Center and Helpline can provide support and resources to support healthy behavior and prevent problematic or harmful behavior. If someone has already engaged in PHSBY or if they are unsure about whether what has been done is illegal, they can still reach out for confidential help to learn about taking steps to stop.
Preliminary findings from a longitudinal, observational study of the WhatsOK helpline suggest that youth are willing to seek out help for their (and others') sexual interests and behaviors, highlighting the critical need for prevention strategies targeting youth with potentially concerning sexual behaviors. We examined the characteristics of contacts to the WhatsOK helpline via data collected from pre-set questions on age, primary reason for contact, timing of inquiry relative to other help-seeking, and timing relative to harm caused. Most inquiries came from youth aged 14 to 21 (57.7%) via email (54.4%). Over half (54.6%) had already engaged in harmful or illegal behaviors or were potentially at risk to do so. The majority of contacts sought help prior to seeking out other external professional resources (54%).
The current study is a randomized control trial evaluating the impact of the WhatsOK helpline in reducing PHSBY and improving help-seeking attitudes and behavior in a sample of participants ages 14-17 with concerns about their sexual thoughts and behaviors.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 14 Years to 17 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •must be ages 14-17 years at baseline
- •must have concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- •must be able to read, write, and speak in English
Exclusion Criteria
- •Under 14 or over 17 years of age
- •Does not have concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- •Previously contacted a helpline or hotline for concerns about their sexual thoughts or behaviors
- •Is not able to read, write, or speak in English
- •Does not consent to participate
Arms & Interventions
Control condition
Participants will complete all follow-up surveys but not be directed to the helpline
Helpline condition
Participants will be directed to the WhatsOK helpline
Intervention: Contact helpline (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Help-seeking behaviors
Time Frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Investigators will measure whether participants have sought support (beyond their assigned treatment condition) for concerns about their sexual thoughts and behaviors. Help-seeking behaviors will be measured using two items. 1.) \[In the past time\], have you tried to find information related to concerns about your sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors? and 2.) \[In the past time\], have you reached out for support about concerns related to your sexual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors? Response options are binary "yes/no". Participants can also select "prefer not to answer".
Sexual behaviors
Time Frame: Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days)
Investigators will measure a variety of sexual behaviors, such as engaging in sexual contact with someone who does not consent (e.g, Have you ever made someone do sexual things when they didn't want to?); engaging in sexual contact with a young child; viewing or sharing sexual images of/with someone who does not consent; viewing, sharing, or creating sexual images of someone under the age of 18. Researcher created measure.
Secondary Outcomes
- Safety Planning(Participants' mental health will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days))
- Well-being(Participants' mental health will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days))
- Internal shame(Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days))
- Perceived resources(Participants' behaviors will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days))
- Perceived self-efficacy(Participants' perceived self-efficacy will be measured at baseline, t2 (baseline + 3 days), T3 (baseline + 14 days), T4 (baseline + 45 days), and T5 (baseline + 90 days))